Sandy's Aftermath

Hurricane Sandy has brought home the crisis we are facing due to climate change. There are some law makers who have taken this as a wakeup call, but their efforts are being ignored by main stream media. Well we at least have C-SPAN which will report anything. Here is the hearing conducted by Senator Barbara Boxer about the impact of Sandy.

The hearing is long so here is a spoiler. Boxer received testimony from Senators and Congressmen from the affected states, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut, mostly Democrats but a few Republicans. They reported how their states were devastated, but that the areas protected by Army Corp of Engineers fared much better. Many Democrats, but no Republicans, linked the super-storm to climate change. Boxer said that she will introduce a new water works bill. The incoming Republican Ranking Member, David Vitter, has pledged cooperation. Oddly enough, the main impediment was the new rule against earmarks which was the main way waterworks were funded. Boxer thinks that she has a way around that problem.

The current Republican Ranking Member, James Inhofe, known for saying that Global Warming was a hoax, was not present at the meeting.